1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a dual track permanent way.
2. Background Information
The demand for fast, long distance means of transport is growing. At present, this demand is being satisfied by increasing the air lines capacities by the enlarging of existing airports and construction of new ones, by introduction of more efficient i.e. larger and faster aircraft and by increasing the turnaround frequency of flights. This process, however, affects the ecology to an ever more noticeable degree. The resistance of the population is on the increase. On the other hand, the situation would become very much more critical if the existing capacities of the air communications were to be reduced.
As an alternative, one could consider a substantial increase of travelling speeds of other existing means of transport. With the motor vehicle, the possibilities in this respect are practically exhausted. The construction of more highways, in particular motorways and even faster vehicles is not possible any more. At present efforts are made worldwide with a view to improving the rail transport. With the increase of speed of the rail transport system, the environment is increasingly affected by the mechanical noise, air resistance noise and by the vibration shock which increases by the square of the rate of train speed increase. At a similar rate an increase of wear, material fatigue on rails and rail fixings and, above all on the wheel assemblies, takes place.
The known magnetic rail road system reduced the environmental impact to a considerable extent and practically annulled the wear aspect or, anyway, reduced it to within tolerable limits. The promoters of the high-speed rail tracks of the wheel/rail systems are now considering a replacement of this system by a magnetic track system. Construction of new rail tracks for the magnetic rail track is being planned. The decisive disadvantage of this planning is the fact that it cannot be fitted into the existing wheel/rail system. Furthermore, the magnetic track systems have this disadvantage that they are mainly laid out for the transport of persons. It follows, that the existing rail tracks cannot be replaced but have to be operated parallel to the magnetic rail systems to be constructed. In densely populated countries such plans create ecological problems and very strong objections to the extent that the criteria for the construction of magnetic rail systems on selected routes, cannot be met as a rule.